Technology in Retrospect

A volume in International Social Studies Forum: The SeriesSeries Editors Richard Diem University of Texas at San Antonioand Jeff Passe University of North Carolina CharlotteJanuary 2009 marked the 25th anniversary of one of the most famous three minutes oftelevision history. It was during half-time of the 1984 Super Bowl that APPLE showcased its new Macintosh Computer in an avant-guard commercial. In the following threeweeks sales of the new computer in both the public and private sectors took off leadingsome to note this occasion as the true start of the information age. At the same timeschools joined this so-called information revolution and began to use the new technologyin various forms in a much more serious manner.Given both the changing nature of technology as well as its classroom applications over the past quarter century thiswork's goal is to capture the historical trends of both use and application of information technology in the social studiesduring this era. This is done by providing a retrospective view from 1984 through 2009 of where we've been where weare and a view of new tools and strategies and possible studies that are emerging that can enhance our understanding of theeffects that technology has and will have on the social studies.